Planet Pepper provides accessories for drag queens and cross-dressers who want a more feminine shape. To be a drag queen takes guts, a flamboyant attitude, and curves that can kill. Founded in 2010 by Speech and Business Communications professor at Kingsborough, Vincent Cuccia, Planet Pepper provides hip and butt pads for drag queens and crossdressers in New York City who desire feminine curves. The original design for Planet Pepper was to create dresses and costumes for drag queens instead of the hip and butt pads currently sold. Co-founder of Planet Pepper Alex Bartlett, teamed up with Cuccia to make and sell these dresses but the plan would come to a stop after the business wasn’t making a profit. The idea for Planet Pepper was launched when Cuccia was dating Bartlett, who, at the time, made dresses and costumes for his friends. Cuccia proposed to use Bartlett’s talent of dressmaking for the drag queen community and transform it into a business. The New York State Commission for the Blind offered Cuccia $15,000 for coming up with a successful business idea that was unique and unheard of in New York City. “New York State Government loved it. They went ballistic over this idea. Like all the other ideas they could care less about,” Cuccia said. “Everything conservative, everything boring, everything common they rejected, but they went crazy when I walked in there and said we’re going to make dresses for drag queens and make a business out it.” Planet Pepper may be catered more towards men, but they’re some women who were born without hips or curves that choose to purchase these pads. Women who don’t have extreme curves get the opportunity to achieve their ideal body shape. These curves can be managed with a quick stop to Planet Pepper to allow some women to feel confident in their skin. As a professor at Kingsborough Community College, Cuccia balances his responsibilities as an entrepreneur and an educator. Cuccia teaches classes in speech and business communications. These classes instruct students the elements of public speaking for future presentations or job interviews. “He enforced the fact that we have higher responsibilities as college students and that having a voice does matter,” student Otis Burgos said. “He taught me how to be less nervous about speaking in class,” Cuccia’s speech student, Cesar Olsen stated....

With crystal blue eyes and a smile that belongs in a Colgate commercial, Thomas Eaton doesn’t fit the animator stereotype. But make no mistake, bringing art to life is indeed, his life’s work. Eaton teaches animation in the KBCC art department. He has done a range of short films, comic book strips, and band music video covers. He published his first comic book titled “The Bug Zapper” last year and is currently working on the next chapter. Inside his office, one could step into the mind of an animator. With a life-size cut out from his comic book series The Bug Zapper, it shows a male dressed in a yellow superhero costume and black shoes. While he wore a yellow mask that covered his white eyes, the middle of his costume shows a black winged fly. Behind the cutout lies a poster from the 2008 animated film called Sita Sings the Blues, which was written and directed by Nina Paley. A black woman figure dancing in a heap of yellow flames while a red three faced male stood behind her. “This character has been a great character for me to try new things,” he said. As he opened the door to his office, the life-size cutout of The Bugman stares back at him. He is ready to welcome the ideas that flood his brain and would then find itself on the blank page. Eaton took a seat in the black chair and grabbed a medium sized sketch pad with a pencil from the desk. He ready to create something fun and enjoyable for his next comic strip. “It’s such a limitless potential for the medium,” he said. For a few minutes, the creative side of his mind drew a blank. So, he decided to take a walk. He thought of the Bug Zapper and how he enjoyed comics that were similar to the character while in high school. He enjoyed the superhero spoof called The Flaming Carrot. He also enjoyed the animation style of the 90s Batman cartoon. “I was always interested in art, drawing, comics, and animation,” said Eaton. “Luckily it was something to get into.” While Eaton grew up in Newtown, Connecticut, he always drew comics as a kid and continued to do so in college. At the time, he was an English major at Penn State...

Planet Pepper provides accessories for drag queens and cross-dressers who want a more feminine shape. To be a drag queen takes guts, a flamboyant attitude, and curves that can kill. Founded in 2010 by Speech and Business Communications professor at Kingsborough, Vincent Cuccia, Planet Pepper provides hip and butt pads for drag queens and crossdressers in New York City who desire feminine curves. The original design for Planet Pepper...

With crystal blue eyes and a smile that belongs in a Colgate commercial, Thomas Eaton doesn’t fit the animator stereotype. But make no mistake, bringing art to life is indeed, his life’s work. Eaton teaches animation in the KBCC art department. He has done a range of short films, comic book strips, and band music video covers. He published his first comic book titled “The Bug Zapper” last year and is currently working on...

Former Vice President Steps Up to Become Interim President “Dreams Begin Here” is the slogan Kingsborough Community College lives by.Peter M. Cohen can relate to this better than anyone after the sudden news of former President Farley Herzek’s resignation. A message that came as a surprise to many students and faculty, but mostly to Peter M. Cohen himself, Cohen finds himself living a dream he didn’t even know he had. He is the...

Kingsborough Chief of Staff, Tasheka Sutton-Young’s laugh may shock you. Her voice is soft-spoken and steady, but her laugh warms and fills the room like a fireplace on a chilly day. Just looking at her, you see someone who is about her business. Her style is immaculate. No hair, pin, button or thread is out of place. Everything, including her bold statement necklace, is methodically chosen. Because of her innate composure, most...

Whether it’s a theatrical play or film, the audience’s attention is focused on the actor performing rather than what is happening behind the scenes. Chris Loupos is an experienced photographer and an actor that knows the merits, insight and experience of what’s it like to work behind the camera and to be on stage. Since his youth Loupos always held a fascination with media. As a student of Toms River High East, he was in an...

Step aside Boss Girl; Boss Woman is in the house. After she cried a hurricane of tears on The Bachelor and two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise, Ashley Iaconetti successfully stands directly in the eye of the storm which is the media. With Access Hollywood appearances, a gig with ClevverTV, and an unapologetically honest podcast, Iaconetti makes the most out of her new-found fame and uses it to chase her dream and break through society...